4 steps in writing an essay

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The 4 Steps in the Writing Process

~ There Is No Magic Pencil ~

When I was in school, the boy who sat next to me said he believed my pencil was magic. From the moment my pencil hit the paper, the words would flow. Meanwhile, he would stare at the page for what seemed like eternity before finally writing his own piece.

He may have thought my pencil was magic, but in retrospect, he was the more advanced writer. The time he spent staring while I hastily scrawled, erased, and rewrote, was time he spent reflecting on the story he wanted to tell. He didn’t make it up as he went along — he carefully crafted it in his mind before ever committing a single word to print. The result? His erasers remained intact and my work rambled, often off topic.

WHAT IS THE WRITING PROCESS?

A great essay, blog post, novel, or even a tweet doesn’t just happen . There is no magic pencil. Like any process, writing has multiple steps: Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, and Editing. It takes practice, and every time you do it, it starts with an idea.

Prewriting, as the name implies, happens BEFORE you write and it’s the step I skipped in school. Prewriting is when brainstorming and outlining happens.

All writers need to brainstorm, talk to others, and take inspiration from the world around them. Whether it be music, a political statement, a photograph, a childhood story or memory, even a blade of grass, the world around us can provide the spark needed to write.  Brainstorming allows writers to think and observe before putting pen to page.

Once writers find that inspiration, the next step is to create an outline. Outlines are important for reasons beyond the fact that every English teacher says so — outlines act as a roadmap for what you are about to write.

Drafting is the “first pass” or “brain dump” of everything developed during prewriting. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar while in this drafting stage, but instead focus on turning ideas into sentences and paragraphs. The outline created in the prewriting stage, if followed, can help create a clear path for the writing.  This stage might take only a few minutes or several hours, but it’s important to get as much written as possible in this initial draft.

The revision stage is often incorrectly used synonymously with editing. Large changes happen in this stage. Entire sections may be added or deleted, the focus of the piece may change, and supporting evidence may be elaborated on or even added or removed completely. In the simplest of implementations, it’s like when you reread a text message right before you send it, and then quickly delete half of it.

Although editing is involved, revising includes much more than just fixing the spelling mistakes. This stage is often a good opportunity for writers to get a second opinion on their work.  Having someone else look at your work allows you to see if you’re taken a reader’s needs into consideration with your piece. Does it make sense to him? Does it answer her questions? Perhaps he has a suggestion for a more compelling introduction.

Once all the heavy lifting is done in the revision stage, and the piece has the foundation to make it structurally sound, it’s time to edit. Word by word, sentence by sentence, spelling and grammar should be reviewed. Spellcheck doesn’t catch everything (their/there/they’re) so it’s important to know your own weaknesses with editing. It takes practice to become a good editor, and it’s often very difficult to edit your own work. It’s ok to seek out a grammar guardian to assist you in the editing process. Some writers even keep a list of their most troublesome words or phrases.

FOUR STEPS AND DONE? EASY.

It’s not that simple.  Most people don’t dart through all four steps once quickly and then they are done. For large, academic pieces, novels, and reports, a writer may cycle through all the steps more than once. If more people review the work, more ideas are shared and the piece may undergo more than one major revision.

First time writers, or those less comfortable with it, may require additional time to complete their work. But one thing is certain, the more time that is spent up front, in the prewriting and drafting stages, the easier revisions and editing become.

I’ve retired my not-so-magical pencil, preferring digital these days, and I still love to write. But looking back at my second-grade short story, I’m glad I’ve refined my process…and I’m glad I have a team of awesome writers to redline my work and brainstorm ideas.

RELATED READING

Step 1 – Prewriting: What is Prewriting and How Is It Done?

Step 2 – Drafting: 5 Tips for Writing a First Draft

Step 3 – Revisions: 4 Tips for Revising Your Writing

Step 4 – Editing: A Checklist to Add Polish

Extended Response Rubric: What You Need to Know to Pass the Essay

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Step-By-Step Guide to Essay Writing

By: Author Rosie

Posted on Last updated: October 25, 2023

Sharing is caring!

Writing an essay can be an overwhelming task, especially if you are not familiar with the process. However, with a clear and detailed step-by-step guide, the task can become manageable and even enjoyable. This guide will take you through the essay writing process, from the initial planning and research stages to the final proofreading and editing.

It will provide tips and strategies for organizing your thoughts, constructing a clear and logical argument, and effectively presenting your ideas in written form. Whether you are a student, professional or just someone looking to improve their writing skills, this guide will help you to write clear, concise and well-structured essays every time.

Read the essay question carefully

• Highlight keywords.
• Use the dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words.
• Identify the task words that indicate what needs to be done, eg “discuss”, “explain”, and “compare”.
• Identify the topic words that indicate the particular subject of the essay, eg the character of “Juliet” in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the “causes” of World War 1.
• Identify any limiting words that restrict the discussion to a particular area, eg in “Chapters 1-3”, during the “nineteenth century”.

Finish any necessary reading or research as background to the essay

• Be selective: use sources that are relevant and accessible.
• Write notes in your own words.
• Write down quotations that may be particularly useful, but ensure the source of these quotes is acknowledged if they’re used.
• Take note of sources so they can be provided in the footnotes and the bibliography.

Brainstorm ideas in response to the question

• Jot down any relevant points.
• Make note of any relevant evidence or quotes that come to mind.
• Use a mind map to help stimulate lateral thinking.

Develop a thesis (idea/argument) that encapsulates the response to the question

• The thesis should be a statement that strongly expresses the overall response to the question.
• Avoid a thesis that’s too simplistic – show thought has been put into some of the complexities behind the question.
• The thesis is the backbone of the essay – it will be stated in the introduction. It also needs to be referred to several times in the essay before restating it and demonstrating how it has been proven in the conclusion.

Write a plan for the response

• Order ideas in a logical sequence.
• Make sure every point in the plan is relevant to the question.
• After the plan has been written it should be clear where the essay is going.

Write the introduction

• Open up the discussion.
• Introduce the thesis.
• Indicate how the questions will be answered.
• Name any texts to be discussed, if appropriate.
• Engage the reader.

Write the main body of the essay

• Ensure each point is given a new paragraph.
• Use words or phrases at the start of each paragraph that will indicate to the reader how it relates to the previous paragraph, eg, “however”, “in addition”, “nevertheless”, and “moreover”.
• Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly links the paragraph to the rest of the essay, eg “A striking example of Gary Crew’s use of light and darkness imagery to suggest notions of knowledge and ignorance occurs in the scene on the jetty”.
• Provide supporting evidence for each point that you make.
• Revisit the thesis, and express it in different ways if possible, to emphasize how the question is being addressed.

Write the essay’s conclusion

• Summarise the main ideas.
• Demonstrate how you have proven your thesis.
• Finish with an interesting or thought-provoking, but relevant, comment.

Edit the draft

• Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
• Delete any sections that are not particularly relevant.
• Change vocabulary to improve expression.
• Seek feedback from peers or a teacher before writing the final copy.

Write the final copy

• Add any footnotes or bibliography if required.
• Present a clean, neat copy.

Source: schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au

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Thursday 25th of November 2021

thank u so much......this is really helpful.....

Monday 12th of April 2021

Monday 26th of October 2020

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Omar Martínez

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